Muffy decides to make a careful analysis of her food before deigning to eat it!
Seriously though, does anyone not buy ready prepared cat food? Do you feed your cats fresh meat and fish? If you do, do you cook it first? Do you feel it's better for them? We would love to hear your views.
In the meantime, here is the advice from the PDSA:
What should I feed my cat?
With so many different cat foods available, choosing one can feel a bit overwhelming! Here’s what to look out for when picking the best diet for your cat:
Complete: Always feed your cat a food that is labelled ‘complete’ because this means that it contains all the nutrients they need. ‘Complementary’ foods can be given in small amounts alongside their main diet.
Commercially available: It’s really difficult to give your cat everything they need in a homemade diet so we advise to always buy a commercial cat food rather than making your own at home.
Life stage appropriate: The nutrients your cat needs will change as they grow older – for this reason, it’s important to make sure you’re always feeding the right food for their stage of life i.e. kitten, adult or senior.
Wet vs dry: Most cats like variety in their food, so many owners choose to feed a combination of wet and dry – you’ll just need to make sure that you’re feeding them the right amount by looking at the packets and working out the correct portion sizes. Feeding a wet diet can help to increase your cat’s water intake if they’re not keen on drinking.
Flavour, texture and ingredients: Your cat may enjoy a variety of flavours and textures, or they might prefer to stick to a particular type – it doesn’t matter which one you choose, as long as they are happy. While it’s nice to know what in your cat’s food, the ingredients list can be confusing. All pet food ingredients need to legally pass a vet inspection as ‘fit for human consumption’, so unless your cat has a food allergy, the exact ingredients don’t really matter.
Vegetarian and vegan diets for cats: If you’re not a meat eater yourself, it can be hard to feed meat to your cat. While we can choose not to eat meat and get a properly balanced diet from plant-based foods, cats need meat to give them certain nutrients that they can’t get anywhere else, so it’s very difficult for them to survive and stay healthy on a vegetarian or vegan diet. While there are some vegetarian and vegan cat foods available, before you start feeding them, it’s essential to make sure your cat will still get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Speak to your vet for advice if you are unsure.
Raw diets for cats: Some owners choose to feed their cats a raw diet with uncooked ingredients instead of the more traditional cooked varieties. Raw diets can provide all the nutrients your cat needs, however, unfortunately, they can increase the risk of certain diseases or health problems, especially if the diet isn’t prepared or stored correctly. We do not recommend trying to make a raw diet for your cat at home, as it is extremely difficult to get the right balance of nutrients. Some of the diseases caused by raw diets can also be passed to people, so it very important to have strict hand and food hygiene if you decide to feed your cat a raw diet.
We used to feed our previous cats a combined wet food and raw food diet. Our cats now are fed mostly canned wet and raw and cooked chicken. We are considering feeding raw only in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI tried raw last year and I am pretty sure I somehow made us sick from the sponge or something.
ReplyDeleteAnd then, of course, hopefully the cat will like it and eat it. That's the hard part, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis issue can be tricky. Thanks for the information breakdown!
ReplyDeleteCats are ... picky. That's for sure!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why a vegan person decides to push their way of thinking onto a cat...a meat eater! Cats in the wild do t look at a mouse and snub its nose at it preferring ro eat the flowers. We do feed our cats a combo of wet and dry. One cat has a sensitive stoma h and will throw up if ate too.much or ate the other cats food. My one sweetie pie is now 14 and looks so thin and is hungry all the time I know she won't last a lot longer and I will be so upset when she passes. She is so lovable.
ReplyDelete